


Romance Novels

by Deanne Gabriel (youtomyme)



Category: Original Work
Genre: Fluff, Ghosts, Librarians, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-13
Updated: 2016-02-13
Packaged: 2018-05-20 01:20:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5987335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/youtomyme/pseuds/Deanne%20Gabriel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A romantic of a ghost, a kindly librarian, and how they introduced themselves to one another.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Romance Novels

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sonotadream](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sonotadream/gifts).



His image shimmering invisibly, Ezra was perched on his customary spot atop a shelf of Celtic histories, his metaphysical head on his metaphysical arms as he watched the beautiful and dutiful head librarian, Conrad, move about his duties. As a matter of fact, one of Ezra’s similarly incorporeal friends had once tried telling him that Conrad wasn’t much to look at, with freckles over his nose and cheeks, a large mouth, and arms that were too long for his body, but Ezra had ignored her. How could blond hair so fine, green eyes so deep, and a love for books so pervasive be anything but worth adoring?

It was getting quite late now, and Conrad’s work day was coming to an end. He had finished reordering the books that the disorderly tended to leave lying around (a task Ezra always did his best to ensure was not as taxing as it should be), and he normally finished up by checking the computer records for overdue books or something of the sort. Today, he had finished with the computer, but instead of proceeding to lock up, he picked up a box and made his way to one of the tables in the library.

Curious, Ezra drifted after him. Conrad parked his bag on the table and started taking out candles and arranging them in a shape on its surface. Ezra frowned and floated down a little closer. Much as he admired the librarian, lighting candles in a building full of dry paper was not very on in Ezra’s book, and he was entirely prepared to instigate a breeze to put them out should the need arise. He thought it was rather uncharacteristic of Conrad to do something so rash.

He was even more surprised, therefore, when Conrad begun lighting the candles, and he recognised their scent. First was lavender, then bay laurel, followed by mint, and Ezra knew what the other candles would smell of. Was Conrad trying to summon a spirit? He felt rather injured by the thought; first, because what exactly did Conrad think he was doing, summoning a ghost in a _library_ , and second, what did he need a phantom for when he had Ezra? Of course, Ezra had always been far too shy to make his presence known to Conrad which might be a contributing factor, but ...

Ezra came to rest on the edge of the table, away from the light of the candles, debating whether or not to chase away any spirit that might answer Conrad’s call. There were plenty of benevolent spirits like himself, but what if Conrad accidentally summoned a malevolent one? Ezra didn’t know if he was capable of fighting a strong, hostile ghost. Perhaps he should call for backup, just in case.

Conrad had finished with the candles and was now leaning over them, muttering a spell. Ezra watched him with some anxiety. Conrad’s tie was hovering a bit too close to a candle, and he wondered if he should risk being seen and hold it back for him.

The tie came no closer to the flame and as Conrad straightened up, Ezra relaxed and began drifting a bit farther away from the circle of light. It meant that he didn’t hear what Conrad said next, so he was very surprised when he felt a sharp jerk somewhere around his chest that completely disoriented him. When he came back to, he was still resting on the edge of the table, but barely. There was a force compelling him to the centre of the table and Conrad was speaking in plain English.

‘Spirit of my library, please manifest yourself,’ he intoned. ‘My name is Conrad and I’d like to speak to you.’

Ezra’s transcendental heart did a couple of somersaults. Conrad wanted to speak to him! He knew he existed! But how? Oh, he was probably clever enough to infer it by himself. And he had mentioned his own name, as if it wasn’t the word that Ezra’s very existence revolved around. What did he want to speak to him about? Ezra’s spiritual heart dropped at the thought that Conrad might want him to leave. 

The power that was pushing Ezra to appear in the circle of candles was not really anything like a magnetic energy that was difficult to refuse – it was more like the force that drove people to answer an insistently ringing telephone. It would be easy enough to stay away, but the thing that was _really_ compelling Ezra to it was that it was the love of his afterlife who was calling to him.

‘Do you,’ Ezra said timidly, floating over and making himself visible, ‘do you mean me?’

For someone who had just performed a summoning ritual, Conrad looked rather shocked to see a ghost actually appear. Ezra’s phantom body couldn’t produce shadow, but the light shining through him was enough to illuminate his dark features to Conrad. He hoped it wasn’t anything in his appearance that was surprising Conrad. He had died of an illness, and it hadn’t mutilated his body in any way that was immediately obvious.

‘Er,’ Conrad said, which put Ezra a bit more at ease. It would appear that they were both nervous. ‘Are you the ghost haunting my library?’

‘I’m not haunting it,’ Ezra replied, trying not to feel offended. ‘I just like it here. I try not to bother anyone.’

‘You chased out a couple of boys last week,’ Conrad said pointedly. Ezra blushed.

‘They were scribbling in a book,’ he said defensively.

‘Oh, were they?’ Conrad brightened up. ‘Well, thank you. You care about books?’

‘There’s nothing I care about more.’ Except for the these books’ guardian, of course.

‘In which case, I apologise.’ The words made Ezra’s heart perform some more complicated acrobatics. ‘I was worried when that happened. I’d suspected there was a ghost in here for some time – someone who was helping me reorder books and repair them – and I didn’t think that that same person could be responsible for driving innocent people away from my library.’

‘I wouldn’t,’ Ezra said earnestly. ‘Back when I was alive, you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone in libraries. I love seeing people coming to the library, even if they just use the computers.’

Conrad looked at him with surprise. ‘What do you mean?’

‘Sorry?’

‘People are always saying that children now don’t read half as much as they used to,’ Conrad explained. ‘Because they’re too busy playing with phones and things.’

‘Quite a lot of them read on their phone too.’

Conrad laughed. ‘That’s true! I love seeing people in here too. Who says reading is dead?’

‘Not me. I’ve been dead a couple hundred years and I haven’t met him yet.’

The librarian laughed again, and Ezra was feeling increasingly happier. Conrad didn’t seem to want him to leave at all. Clearly intending to continue their conversation a good while longer, Conrad pulled out a chair and sat down. He started when Ezra blew out the candle nearest to him, but was quick to be reassured when Ezra explained that he didn’t want Conrad sitting close to an open flame.

‘What’s your name?’ Conrad asked.

‘It’s Ezra.’

‘Ezra,’ Conrad said. It was the most beautiful sound Ezra had ever heard. ‘”Friend” in Hebrew.’

‘Is it?’

‘You didn’t know?’

‘It never occurred to me to check if it meant something.’

‘I think it suits you,’ Conrad said warmly. ‘You are a friend to this library. I think we’re lucky to have you.’

‘Oh, well,’ Ezra said vaguely, ducking his head in shyness. Why hadn’t he introduced himself to Conrad _months_ ago? He was even more wonderful to talk to in person.

‘Have you always been here?’

‘No, I used to wander around the town more. But I’ve come to like it here the most.’

‘Why?’

‘I like reading over people’s shoulders. Sometimes pages are too thin for me to manipulate myself.’

‘No, no.’ Conrad grinned. ‘I mean why did you haunt the town?’

‘I’m not _haunting_ anyone or anything,’ Ezra said severely. ‘I live in this town. Just like anyone else.’

‘Of course. I’m sorry,’ Conrad said humbly. ‘It’s just the commonly used term.’

‘It’s alright.’ Ezra relaxed, feeling a bit guilty. He leaned forward slightly towards Conrad, and was thrilled when Conrad rested his elbow on the table and propped his chin in his hand, mirroring the gesture. ‘After I died, I came back to look for someone. My brother. My foremost fear when I died was that nobody would be around to take care of him.’ 

‘Oh.’ Conrad appeared to ponder this. ‘That was extremely thoughtful of you.’

‘No it wasn’t,’ Ezra said, shaking his head. ‘My brother was the most important person in my life. I didn’t have to think about it at all.’

‘He must have been grateful to you.’

‘On the contrary.’ Ezra tried to smile, but he couldn’t help the sadness that came out with it. ‘He was horrified that his brother had come back as a ghost. He pretended not to see me whenever I came to him.’

Conrad looked as stricken as if it had happened to himself, and Ezra felt his heart squeeze in affection. He really was wonderfully kind and sympathetic.

‘I’m sorry,’ Conrad said quietly.

‘It’s alright,’ Ezra said, trying to sound cheerful. ‘I don’t regret coming back. I’ve met a lot of people since I died – more than I could have before I passed.’

‘Do you not feel lonely?’

‘Only sometimes.’ Like when he thought about the fact that he could never _truly_ be with Conrad, even if, by some miracle, he happened to return his feelings. ‘I have a lot of company.’

‘You mean other ghosts?’

‘I try not to talk to humans,’ Ezra said sheepishly. ‘Not after my brother.’

‘Then I thank you for speaking to me,’ Conrad said with a gentle smile. ‘I was told that the spell I performed wouldn’t force you to speak to me. I was a bit afraid of what would happen if you did too,’ he admitted, his smile turning bashful. ‘I called you up because I wanted to ask you to leave if you were a malevolent spirit.’

‘I don’t think I am,’ Ezra said with some anxiety.

‘No, you’re not. I’m most pleased to meet you.’ He hitched his mouth up into a confident smile again. ‘Actually ...’ Conrad’s gaze wandered away from Ezra’s face and he looked around at the ring of candles. ‘I think we should put these out. You’ll stay if I do, won’t you?’

‘I’m not leaving this library any time soon,’ Ezra said happily. 

He helped Conrad extinguish the candles and Conrad asked, ‘Can you make yourself invisible? I’ve only suspected you were here because of things you made happen, but I’ve never seen you before.’

‘Yes, I can. It doesn’t take any effort, and I ...’ Ezra gave him a shy look over his shoulder, ‘I’ve never really needed to manifest myself.’

‘Are you afraid someone would try to get rid of you if they saw you?’ Conrad said, putting the candles away in his box and wiping the table clean of candlewax. 

‘I suppose I would be. Mostly I don’t want to scare someone so much they’d leave the library once they’re here.’

‘Oh, I don’t know about that. Ghosts can be quite popular.’

Ezra shrugged smilingly. ‘I don’t want to disappoint anyone if I become an attraction and they come on days when I don’t feel like manifesting myself.’

‘You are the most pleasant person I have ever spoken to,’ Conrad said, and if Ezra had a body, he would have frozen in shock. Since he hadn’t, he only began to sink into the table until he pulled himself together and came back to the surface.

‘I think you’re lovely too,’ he said in an embarrassing squeak.

‘Thank you.’ Conrad finished cleaning up, put the box down on the table, and looked directly at Ezra, who tried to look back steadily. ‘Ezra, you don’t mind if _I_ try to talk to you from time to time, do you? I won’t ask you to appear before me unless you want to. I know you try to help the library behind my back, but perhaps in future you could help me even when I’m aware of your presence? I’m very interested in getting to know you, Ezra.’

If Ezra had been any less corporeal than he already was, he would have melted into a puddle. His heart may be only metaphysical, but he could feel it beating a mile a minute.

‘I wouldn’t mind that at all,’ he said. ‘I want to get to know you too, Conrad.’ Those things about him that he _didn’t_ already know about, of course.

‘Wonderful.’ The only light now illuminating this space of the library was the one electric light directly above their table, but Conrad’s smile brightened up Ezra’s whole world. ‘I’m going to go home now, but I’ll see you tomorrow.’

‘Of course.’ Ezra followed Conrad to the door quite calmly despite the fact that he wanted to swoop around the library, laughing for joy. ‘I’ll be here.’

‘Until tomorrow then. Oh –‘ Conrad stopped at the entrance and looked back at Ezra. ‘By the way, you said it’s hard for you to read books sometimes. Is there any book in particular you’d like to read? Perhaps we can read together tomorrow.’

‘Oh.’ Ezra could have swooned, or gushed ‘Oh _Conrad_!’. Since he didn’t want to weird out Conrad just yet, he said, ‘I’d like to read whatever title is your favourite.’

Alright, not the most neutral thing to say, perhaps, but Conrad didn’t seem to mind. He chuckled and said, ‘I’m a bit soppy, you know. I think my favourite novel is _Sense and Sensibility_.’

As a matter of fact, Ezra had read it before, and he approved of Conrad’s taste. ‘I look forward to reading it.’

‘Me too,’ Conrad said, and waved. ‘Goodnight, Ezra.’

‘Goodnight, Conrad,’ Ezra said, and as Conrad left and locked up, he drifted away, hardly noticing where, thinking of what a wonderful afterlife it was.


End file.
